(Clearwisdom.net) On July 20, 2005, Falun Gong practitioners in Sydney held a series of activities, including a press conference, a Great Wall of Courage, an anti-torture exhibition and a candlelight vigil. The purpose of these activities was to expose to the public how former president Jiang Zemin and his regime have colluded with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the past six years to carry out a brutal persecution against Falun Gong practitioners who cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practitioners in Sydney also called for an immediate end to the persecution.
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Spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association in Sydney, John Deller, representative of the "Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners" (GMRPFGP), (Australia Branch) Gollern May, and Australian representative of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, Mr. Jonathon Solomon all gave speeches at the press conference. They pointed out that since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, 2,704 Falun Gong practitioners have been verified to have died as a result of persecution. This is only news obtained under the CCP's tight information blockade; the actual number of deaths far exceeds this number. The GMRPFGP has documented 44,513 cases of persecution. Twenty-nine Australian Falun Gong practitioners' relatives have experienced persecution in forced labor camps, three have died as a result of persecution and six practitioners are still being detained in labor camps in China.
Jiang Zemin also directly ordered the 610 Office to export the persecution of Falun Gong outside of China, so as to carry out its terrorist campaign against all Falun Gong practitioners around the world. Their tactics have included trying to stir up hatred among the general public in other countries, and monitoring and harassing Falun Gong practitioners overseas.
The CCP's despotic regime cannot tolerate Falun Gong and Falun Gong cultivators who follow the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." At the beginning of the persecution, Jiang claimed that he would "eliminate Falun Gong in three months." But after going through the past six years of brutal persecution, Falun Gong practitioners have remained steadfast. Falun Gong has been growing more and more rapidly, and has been introduced to 78 countries and regions around the world. The CCP's and Jiang's wicked nature has been clearly recognized by more and more people around the world. Only by continuously exposing the wicked nature of Jiang and the CCP, and publicly condemning and calling for an immediate end to the persecution, can the evil be ultimately stopped.
Chairman of the Australian Overseas Students Human Rights Committee (former Australian overseas student leader) Yang Jun expressed that Jiang has colluded with the CCP to persecute Falun Dafa for six years. Yang Jun said, "I feel that today is a very special day. As Chinese people with a conscience, we should step forward to clarify the truth to the public, and let the people know about all of the atrocities of the CCP. We should help everyone in the world know the truth, so that more people can step forward against the persecution. We should not fear the CCP's despotic rule... the CCP is the biggest evil religion in the world today. If the CCP does not go down, there will be no new China."
Falun Gong practitioner Dai Zhizhen said in her speech, "Jiang colluded with the CCP to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, which has produced tens of thousands of children like mine who endure the great sorrow of a broken family. My husband was murdered by the CCP, and my husband's sister has been illegally sentenced to two years of forced labor, forcing her to leave behind a nine-year-old daughter uncared for. My husband's father could not endure such a bitter blow and passed away in sorrow. A harmonious family has been brutally broken up. The last time my daughter saw her father, she was only nine months old. Once at midnight, my daughter shook me awake and said, 'I miss Daddy.' Seeing her pained expression, I hugged my daughter, and we cried bitterly together. Please help us stop the persecution, let children be reunited with their parents, and help rescue those orphans of persecuted Falun Gong practitioners."
Falun Gong practitioner Li Ying, who was in Shanghai, China on July 20, 1999, said, "On July 19, 1999, my younger brother in Beijing and my elder sister in Tianjin were arrested. One month later, because the police could not find any evidence that they had broken the law, they had to release them. In October of the same year, my younger brother was arrested again and he is still being detained in a forced labor camp in Tianjin. Over the past six years, he has enjoyed less than five months of freedom. On July 17 and 18, 2000, the CCP placed my home under surveillance. Nine people, including police and security guards from the street committee, took three shifts 24 hours a day and kept a close eye on me for seven days. Now, I am in free Australia, but the CCP's dark minions have still invaded my living space. The CCP's spies continue monitoring me. Falun Gong practitioners follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to be good people. The CCP monitors and feels nervous about Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, the fact of which can only reflect that the party is nothing but falsehood, wickedness, and violence.
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Great Wall of Courage
After the press conference, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Falun Gong practitioners lined up along the roadside to form a "Great Wall of Courage" from George Street in Chinatown to Town Hall. The practitioners held various banners and posters exposing the torture and abuses used in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. The "Great Wall of Courage" displayed to the world's people Falun Gong practitioners' tenacious persistence, and great compassion and forbearance in confronting the evil party's six-year-long brutal persecution.
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Great Wall of Courage
Simultaneously, at the press conference site, practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition for the whole day. Besides the practitioners reenacting the torture happening in China, there were nearly 40 photo display boards arranged along the roadside, including display boards illustrating the torture methods and photo boards introducing Falun Gong and showing the popularity of Falun Gong around the world.
Numerous passersby and tourists were drawn by the spectacular scene of the anti-torture exhibition and the "Great Wall of Courage." In addition, on July 17, Channel 9 TV Station broadcast a 35-minute TV program entitled, "Behind the Red Wall," which gave a positive report on Falun Gong; many people learned some facts about Falun Gong from the program. A gentleman stopped in front of the display boards illustrating torture methods, and said to a practitioner, "I used to be gullible to the CCP's propaganda, thinking that Falun Gong is a [slanderous words omitted]. Recently, after watching the program on TV, and seeing Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful demeanor, my thoughts have been totally changed. Falun Gong is good." An indigenous young man saw the reenactment of torture by real people and said, "How can a person be beaten to such extent? How can a person endure being tied up like this?" He said he would report this to the police and was about to untie the practitioner who reenacted the practitioners suffering torture in China. The practitioner told the young man and his elder sister about the persecution, and they finally understood.
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Clarifying the truth
Many people gave the thumbs up sign to practitioners standing in the "Great Wall of Courage," and praised them highly: "You've done great," "Falun Gong is great," "It's great you can do this here, more people can see." A woman, who just came out from a Catholic Church, stopped in front of the practitioners. She looked puzzled and asked, "What is Falun Gong? Why does the Chinese government suppress it? ..." Practitioners gave her some truth clarification materials, and answered her questions one by one. She then said that the CCP is really horrible, and the Chinese government is so bad. She wished good luck for Falun Gong and said she would pray for Falun Gong. A Chinese couple said to practitioners in the "Great Wall of Courage,"
"The CCP is too terrible. We support Falun Gong. Keep doing these activities, so that more people can learn about it." Another middle-aged woman walked by, and suddenly turned around and said to the practitioners, "The Chinese government is too terrible. Australia is good, and free." People took the initiative to accept truth clarification materials.
Journalists and a photographer from the Sydney Morning Herald took many photos. A journalist repeatedly took pictures of a banner reading, "Falun Dafa is Good" in both Chinese and English, in red words on a yellow background. He shot from various angles and distances. Other media outlets who came to cover the event included Getty Images, the Epoch Times, NTDTV, and Sound of Hope Radio Station.
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That evening, Sydney Falun Gong practitioners held a candlelight vigil at a square in Chinatown and in Belmore Park. Glittering and translucent paper lotus flowers and flickering candlelight created a sacred, pure and beautiful scene. They reflected the Falun Gong practitioners' purity and simplicity, and expressed boundless grief over those practitioners who have died as a result of persecution. They also expressed people's sincere concern: Stop the Persecution!
Category: Rallies & Protests
